ARTICLES ABOUT LIPS BY DATE - PAGE 5

With droves of college freshmen arriving on campuses across the U.S., some experts say that most public displays of bad behavior at the big drop-off are likely to be exhibited not by newbie students, but their anxious parents. "The worst and most extreme example I remember is a father who rolled down the window of his car and shouted out to his son, 'By the way, you have a learning disability and Asperger's syndrome,'" said Diana Nash, a college counselor and professor at Marymount Manhattan College in New York.

You know how the Flaming Lips are always doing weird things? Like floating around in humongous bubbles, or conducting strange sonic experiments? Frontman Wayne Coyne works hard at those. Some, like the new gummy skull which, once nibbled upon, reveals a USB-drive “brain” that plays Lips songs, require intense mathematical calculations. Others, like the Lips' recent 6 a.m. show at a Hollywood cemetery, involve more prosaic concerns: What if the cops shut us down? What if my alarm clock doesn't go off?

With an international spot open and room to maneuver under Major League Soccer's salary cap, the Fire are on the lookout for a quality roster addition. But Frank Klopas, the team's interim coach and technical director, is tight-lipped about whom the Fire might be considering. "Whether it's an attacking midfielder or whether it's another forward, we have some very good options with players we have followed," Klopas said after practice Thursday at Toyota Park. "It's a matter of making the right decision.

MIAMI -- Mark Cuban zipped his lips and won a championship. And when it was time for his old nemesis David Stern to hand him the shiny gold trophy, this was his big chance to say anything he wanted. So, what did he do? He stood behind a 78-year-old man and let him take center stage, a reward for Donald Carter having founded the team 31 long years ago. Meet the new, humble Cuban — the one who also is an NBA champion. Cuban hadn't spoken publicly since winning the Western Conference championship, when he proclaimed “We ain't done yet!

The last thing a man should ever think about doing on Mother's Day is provoking the mothers of America. That's about as stupid as poking a she-bear with a sharp stick. At the very least, such a man deserves to lose an arm. And the bear will chew on his foolish skull, making a noise that sounds like "scrontz, SCRONTZ, scrontz. " The man kicks and struggles, but there's really not a darn thing he can do to save himself. Stupid, stupid man. So I'm not going to do something stupid on this Mother's Day, except to mention just one little thing, OK?

Nine months ago, Keenan Cahill was just another freshman at York High School in Elmhurst, doing his homework, holing up in his room to listen to music, and, according to his family, coming out only to eat. Now the teenager with the gift for lip-syncing is a YouTube sensation so popular he is friends with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, has a manager and needs security guards to escort him in and out of nightclubs for appearances....

More than three months ago, Oak Park resident Pedro Gurrola Jr. was found dead in his garage. He was slain as he was leaving for work as a part-time Buffalo Grove mail carrier, the victim of blunt trauma to the head, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. As the months have passed, Oak Park police have said little. They have stressed that the murder investigation is a top priority, although few details of its progress have been released. This week, Oak Park police Chief Rick Tanksley emphasized that the department is still on the case and police are moving forward, despite the tight-lipped approach from police.

Dear Tom, Besides chapped lips, what are other negative effects of dry air on us? —Gene Niwinski Dear Gene, When the human body is exposed to intensely dry air (relative humidity less than 10 percent) for many hours at a time, dehydration becomes a real health problem, especially when high temperatures accompany the low humidity. Dry air also promotes itchy and cracked skin, irritated eyes and, as you have noted, chapped lips. Lengthy exposure to very dry air also dries the shield of mucus in airways that protects against bacteria, viruses and airborne pollutants.

After telling the judge in a tiny voice that he wouldn't take the witness stand at his corruption trial Wednesday, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich realized he still had an audience. The jury had been excused, but the courtroom was full of spectators. There were no TV cameras, yet Dead Meat was compelled to perform. So he turned and smiled at his wife, Patti, and sauntered back to his seat, in his fine suit and silk tie and handmade shirt. The man of the people gave Patti the full Vegas: A shake of the big hair, a flash of teeth and a wink.

Go ahead: Touch it, hug it, give it a big wet kiss. The Stanley Cup isn't the germ bomb you might suspect. The NHL champion Blackhawks' beloved trophy stopped by the Chicago Tribune newsroom Thursday, and so we took the opportunity to do something the Cup's keeper said had never been done: We swabbed it for germs. We sent the samples to the Chicago lab EMSL Analytical, which found very little general bacteria and no signs of staph, salmonella or E. coli. "It's surprisingly clean," lab manager Nancy McDonald said.